Lovin' Plate-and-Spoonfuls!

Appetizer station done juuuuust right!
Via Colin Cowie Weddings

For a few days before any wedding we're involved with, I tend to starve myself or eat sparse, boring meals. Is it to crash-diet down a size or two before the big day? Not for me, because my preferred non-bodycon shift dress/Spanx combo is my wedding-attire strategy of choice. Nope, I eat like a bird because I want to enjoy every single offering on the menu! I groan and moan about Just!How! Much! food there is, but I always find the space to enjoy it all.  We've all had experiences with the good, the better, and the best of reception eats; menus that run the gamut from simple...

Winner, winner, chicken dinner!
Via Deer Field Golf club

... to über-sophisticated....

Via Pinterest 

Via Hummingbird Hall

Via McHales Catering

... cocktail hours that have us trailing servers and their trays of riches, or pulling up a chair beside our favourite station....

Via Holly Tate Fine Catering

Via Silk Mill Urbana

Via Brides.com

... and late-night stations that challenge the strongest  zippers and Beyoncé-approved layers of Spanx!

Oh sweet lord, proof positive that anytime is decadent snack time!
Via Pinterest 

Yes please! I'll just take the plate. Easier that way!
Via Bridal Guide

And I think that 80% of the time, we're dining in style or straight-up ballin' in a sea of oysters and cocktail signatures. But if we're eating this good, how do the 3% roll at THEIR weddings? Ahhhh celebrities - they're just like us (some of the time) .... this is a look at how some stars celebrated their nuptials!

*~Wedding Menus, A-List Edition!~*

Food (literally) for thought on a January morning!

Wishing you a day as limitless as you are~

Lisa and April

It Isn't Easy Being Green(ery); Otherwise known as the Pantone Colour of the Year

Sing it, Kermit.

I am so torn on Pantone's choice for colour of the year. It's been a long time since Radiant Orchid ruled the roost. There's not a drop of Marsala in sight, and this ain't no Rose Quartz or Serenity. My friends, we have entered Greenery Country.

The spirit of the choice is hopeful and brimming with optimism, and I lovelovelove the sentiment:

Via Pantone

The only thing is.... I'm just not a fan of the colour itself! It's a yellow-green colour that has to find the perfect pairings to help it pop. And it has to be lit with just the right lighting or else it could go sallow or dingy. What IS great, is that there are a multitude of choices when it comes to complementary colours. There are some palettes featuring the big green on the scene!

Via Pantone 

Via makeitindesign.com

We actually had a wedding in 2013 where the invitations and stationary were Greenery, Pink Yarrow and Flame (found in the first palette, above) accented with gold and the results were absolutely stunning; fresh, vibrant and wonderfully eye-catching!  So the possibilities to turn this green into figurative gold are there for the taking, it's just a matter of getting all the ducks lined up.

The beautiful thing about the Colour of the Year is that there's room to play within the colour family. Fashion houses are already dabbling in all things green, which means that while Greenery is the specific shade of the year, the colour green and all its variations are the 'It' colour moving forward and everything will be coming up Greenery... and Lime.... and Jade.... and Pistachio.... and Mint....and, you get the idea!

Via Pinterest

Via Pinterest

Via Koket

So.... if Greenery is a gateway colour, what will be YOUR green of choice?

Wishing you a day as limitless as you are~
Lisa and April

The 2017 Awards Show Fashion Train; First Stop - Golden Globes

Via Forbes

Awards show fashion is all kinds of awesome.  It gives us HEAPS of food for thought when we translate those looks into real life and dissect elements that speak to us that could work perfectly in the wedding arena! There were a lot of dresses and tuxedos (THANK YOU Octavia Spencer, Kathryn Hahn and Evan Rachel Wood for fronting like BOSSES in theirs!) on the red carpet that showcased some of the big trends for 2017, which translates into some solid ideas for your wedding and reception. Ready? Let's do this!

Precious Metals and Sequins

Red Carpet: A bevy of tones from rose gold to silver, found head to toe or in stunning accents. And sequins came to SLAY! They were colourful and they were magic.
Real Life: Any way you want! Whether you have your bridesmaids in metallic dresses, or you feature  a metal in your colour theme, a little goes a long way! Same deal with sequins- think sequinned embellishments on table dressings or in backdrops. Perfect in places like shoes or purses, but STUNNING in dresses.

My favourite look of the night: Ruth Negga
Via New York Times

Via CelebMafia

Via PopCrush

Via New York Times

Via ETOnline

Via Glamour

Via Indian Times

Via US Weekly

Via New York Times

Via US Weekly

Via Harpers Bazaar Singapore

Via W

The New Romantics

Red Carpet: Ultra-feminine, with stunning  details. Dreamy colours that are flattering and swoon-worthy.
Real Life: Adding a little bit of romanticism into your colour theme; choosing a softer silhouette for either wedding dress or bridesmaids dresses.

Via Cosmopolitan

Via US Weekly

Via Vanity Fair

Via E!

 Not-So-Mellow Yellow

Red Carpet: Head-to-toe Vitamin D, there were a handful of yellow dresses, but did they ever stand  out and make an impact. Viola Davis made my life with the sequins!
Real Life: I haven't been a huge fan of yellow before but lately, I've been feeling it!  I think that the yellow can translate to fearlessness; go ahead and use yellow or any bright colours you want, whether it's flowers, accessories, or dresses. Be bold!

My Queen...via E!

Via Elle

Via Cosmopolitan 

The Avante-Gardes

Red Carpet: The looks that took chances. Either playing with silhouettes or detailing, or, in three cases, trading dresses for tuxedos. In SJP's case, she took us back in time while Sophie Turner gave us a hint o' Art Deco.  Minimal rules, maximum impact!
Real Life: Ahh, these ladies wtere reminders of 'your day, your way'.... Being true to yourself is always in fashion.

Via New York Times

Via Indian Express

Via People

Via Footwear News

Via E!

What do you think? What Globes looks struck a chord with you? And how can you takes those favourites and make them a part of your wedding? Answer: any way you please!

Wishing you a day as limitless as you are~
Lisa and April

Out With Old, In With The Joyous - 'Happy' 2017

Via Pinterest 

First of all, HAPPY NEW YEAR!   2016 felt like a train wreck, and I've never been happier to see a year end. It was a year of a lot of downs; whether we were saying goodbye to Ziggy Stardust, wishing for a spell to bring back Professor Snape, or when our hearts ached for Brussels and then again for the people of Nice, France; meanwhile closer to home, we held our breath for our brothers and sisters in Fort McMurray.  And that's not even taking into consideration the results of a certain presidential election which sent shockwaves around the world. As the kids say, 2016 had zero chill! So, April and I are hoping that 2017 will bring a tide of rebirth and hope, and that in a world that showed us just how precarious living day-to-day can be, we hope that you and yours stay safe and happy as the year unfolds. 'Happy' sounds like a simple concept, but it's a lot bigger than we realize and affects so many areas of our life.  We hope that you all find your own personal happy; whether it's mastering a headstand or surviving bikram yoga, celebrating your work and not being ashamed of it,  prioritizing your health and reaping the positive benefits, finding your footing in your career, feeling content in your relationships, saving up to splurge on something luxurious for yourself or even committing to spoiling yourself once a month with a massage - in all your quests both big and small, we hope you are able to embark on a journey that brings you happiness. We'll keep bringing you all things wedding, but if you'll allow us, we'd like to share little gems that come along and have made us smile or given us a dose of figurative sunshine.  There's been a lot of darkness as of late, but when we can catch those pinpoints of light that permeate the inky black veil, well, those lights are that much more beautiful, no?

Wishing you a day as limitless as you are~
Lisa and April

The 6-Letter 'B' Word That Cuts Like A Knife

Two hearts, one budget!
Via smartgroom.com

Oh yes, we're going there. You know what word we're talking about. 

Budgets.

I love/loathe Pinterest. It's complicated, but I'm going to try to unpack why.  Here's my love list:

*Amazing collection of all things. Literally, all the things. Green goddess smoothies, coconut oil benefits, housecleaning hacks - you name it, you search it, and Pinterest will deliver it!

*User-friendly way to keep visual and comprehensive boards of ideas for anything from one-pot recipes, DIY manicures, decorating hacks all the way to party themes and colour swatches

*Easy way to find/pinpoint what you like, and be able to express to others what you've got in mind with carefully curated images

The loathe list:

*So. Many. Ideas.  A veritable rabbit-hole, where looking for 'Alice In Wonderland' wedding ideas can lead you down, down, down... Further away from what you want, and find a thousand other ideas you didn't know you needed. 

*Picture-perfection images that, in some cases, are rooted deeply in fantasy (aka Photoshop) or Baller Status (what I like to call 'Keeping Up With The Wests' -the Kanye and Kim Effect)

And here's where the B-word comes into play.  Pinterest can sometimes blind us to the age-old dilemma of Prime Rib Dreams/Hamburger Reality! We're inundated with pictures and magazine spreads of celebrity parties, galas, and weddings; we follow them on Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat and are given front-row seats to the best of the best in everything THEY have access to - haute couture fashion, innovative interior design, no-holds-barred styling, surreal make-up and top-drawer event planning. When we try to pull star inspiration into real-life events, fantasy and reality collide head-on. So half of our Pins end up being good from far, but far from good (financially). Budgets and Pinterest sometimes are in stark opposition, so I saved this article published earlier this year that gives a little insight into some of the ways wedding budget spends become post-event regrets:

*~The Hads and Had-Nots: Brides Dish On Some Of Their Wedding Day Regrets~*

Budgets apply to people outside of the couple getting married; being invited to be a part of the big day is a huge honour - and an even bigger responsibility financially. Here's how life in the wedding party can unfold:

*~It Takes A Village... To Make A Wedding Happen: How Much Does It Cost Your Wedding Party?~*

Sigh... What to do, what to do? Which ideas are workable, doable, attainable, and ideas are best left to the the A-list and their unlimited funds? It's a tough call, especially 'in the heat of the moment' (aka mid-meeting with a decorator) so the best thing you can do is have the hard, clinical discussions about all-things-money and what your non-negotiables are beforehand, so that at the very least you are walking in to the planning process on the same page and with the same endgame in mind. Best case scenario? You have a clear vision that's drawn up by you and your partner, not by the special celebrity wedding issue of InStyle magazine!

Wishing you a day as limitless as you are~
Lisa and April

My Dirty Little Secret (and Why We Should Embrace It!)

The LBD reimagined - in velvet
Via bgfashion.net

On a new day that follows what can only be described as a shocking night in politics, it's seems that the newly elected president was the dirty little secret of a wide segment of the voting populace.  So, it seems like the perfect time to out myself;  I have a dirty little secret of my own, but thankfully, I've got the fashion industry on my side here.

I love velvet. Inky and plush, tactile and crushed, I am #teamvelvet! View Exhibit A:

#velvetstylep0rn

A few years ago, Target's designer collaboration with Joseph Altuzarra featured a crimson velvet tuxedo and that bad boy is in my closet right now.  If there's a velvet anything in any store - pillows, throws, shoes, purses, coats, you name it - I instinctively slow down and do the lingering graze/eager grab. Then come the oohs and ahhs.  And this isn't a new thing, you guys; I've loved velvet for as long as I can remember.  There's something dramatic, rich, and decadent when you go velvet.  Black looks more deep and vivid, midnight blue suggests a colour that is both endless and infinite, and a chocolate coloured velvet throw is an invitation to endless comfort.  Fashion, being what it is, has embraced my secret love and it is EVERYWHERE this season....

A little velvet for everyone!
Via fashionisers.com

Via poshclassymom.com

Want, want, need!
Via instyle.com

A coat to make the cold more bearable!
Via ferbena.com

Via cinefog.com

....which means it's only a matter of time before we see wedding decor reflect the velvet experience.
What I love about the velvet trend is that it breathes 'texture' and the juxtaposition of mixing different materials with the velvet can create dynamic looks. And you don't have to go wall-to-wall velvet; even one detail or treatment can be an instant dose of luxe!

Small details, big impact!
Via husqvarnaviking.com

Rustic meets luxe
Via fengshuidana.com

Velvet+concrete+glass+metal = mixology perfected!
Via foter.com

My velvet crush is out in the open - it's not salacious or smutty, thank goodness! But, what feels better than admitting it? Seeing velvet everywhere right now - and looking forward to a 2017 wedding season filled with my dirty little secret. Velvet has arrived and she is a Queen; pass it on!!

Wishing you a day as limitless as you are~
Lisa and April